Hey mylye2222 !!! - Please Consider Coming Back... And That Goes For The Rest Of You Re-Lurkers...

[WillyT]

Look...

This place was started after the Gore v. Bush decision.

It was the first online place one could go to express their frustration/confusion/anger at the SCOTUS interfering in a Presidential Election... an election where the Democrat WON!

And as we came together, and found others of like minds... this place grew and grew...

I found DU through a Sacramento Bee insert of the Sunday paper that would rate/rank websites on this newfangled thing called the Internet.

Remember... most people were still working with NetScape/Windows 3.11/95 at the time.

This was all new to most of us.

But back then... after this place had been running for a while... on the front page of DU, there was an entire section dedicated to DU Meet-Ups... Ya Know ???

Where actual DUers from across the country could get together and meet each other in person. This happened all the time.

And I drove to SF several times from Sacramento to meet with complete strangers... and become fast friends.

Proud Patriot, Tinoire, Arcane1, JMatson, NorietBlue, and dozens of others... was even put on a cell phone with Catwoman in Atlanta. Hell... I even met Will Pitt !!!



When we elected one of our own... their was division here... not unlike there was division here when Barack Obama went up against Hillary Clinton in 2008.

Yet... as angry as it could get... most of us still found a way to give each other a hug and a giggle... and realize it was more important to stay relevant members, and online friends, than it was to "win" the argument, and sow the seeds of disappointment and frustration.

DO NOT LET any MFer here run you off.

If they're new... who knows... if they've been here forever... SHAME ON THEM.

There are FAR more good hearts here, than you know.

The others... FUCK 'EM.

Please reconsider.

[Exhibit A]

1. You're a good guy, WillyT.

I'm one of those who keep a low profile most of the time because DU can be a pretty tough environment & I shrink from conflict, but I don't think I've ever seen you being nasty to anyone.

[WillyT]

2. LOL !!! - Thanks... According To One Poster (Don't Remember Who...)

After I got a time-out for having too many locks in a given period of time, and was locked out of my thread, and was prevented from posting until the first warning timed out...

I sat back as an exile as somebody posted a thread in my support.

As I scrolled through the thread... Somebody posted...

"WillyT was sort of a hot-head during DU 2.0"

I got a huge kick out of that. Laughed for several minutes.

And then I thought...

How could one NOT be a "Hot-Head" watching our society slip backward over the last few decades ???

The only answer I could come up with, is that the bubble they live in, is much nicer than the bubbles others do.

That's why I take on my own party... the little guy... the little guy...

[ND-Dem]

19. +100

[WillyT]

3. P.S. - I Don't Like Conflict Either... But I Won't Be Bullied Into Shutting-Up...

Would rather laugh than cry
Live than Die

[marym625]

33. .

[cwydro]

37. I may steal that for a sig line!

[WillyT]

38. Be My Guest !!!

[CatWoman]

4. Rock on Baby

[WillyT]

5. Have I Ever Told You How Much Love You ???

I remember that phone call... just can't remember who hooked it up. I remember his face, but...

[Gothmog]

6. I miss the DU meetups

I met a couple DUers including Pdittie

[WillyT]

7. Me Too... And Some Of Them Are Gone Now...

[Renew Deal]

14. I've been to a few

In NY, Boston, and DC. Always interesting. That reminds me of DUer "Stephanie". I met her in NYC once. I haven't seen her around here in forever.

EDIT: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=105783 Never posted at DU3.

[Baitball Blogger]

8. Too bad we aren't hosting more meet-ups.

I would like to start a Warren wing, but only for Duers in the area.

[riderinthestorm]

36. I've tried to get one going in Chicago but there never seems to be enough interest

I too think it would be fun to meet some of these folks in real life.

[Baitball Blogger]

39. My area is problematic when it comes to bringing progressives together

Too many DINOs would love to cozy up to keep an eye on what is going on, just to run back to their Chamber friends to give them info.

And, frankly, my priorities will always be high on Civil Rights issues, which means that exposing the stacked status quo is a necessity. That tends to alienate many, who recognize the difficulties.

[riderinthestorm]

40. I'll happily admit to wanting a meetup with Emelie (mylye222) in Paris!!

If she'd agree!

Can you imagine a DU meetup at the Eiffel Tower?

Oui!

[Baitball Blogger]

42. For those who have the funds...

...bon voyage!

[riderinthestorm]

43. Yeah, there is that small detail...

Ah well. A girl can dream...

[one_voice]

9. This is a nice thread...

K n R

[WillyT]

12. I Try...

[grilled onions]

10. It's A Place To Learn

I agree with some;disagree with others. But I can learn more on here in one day then a stack of papers in a week. I see passion for ideas and dreams growing every day. It gives me ideas. It makes me proud when I see what others have done to steer this country forward. Remember there will always be an anchor, somewhere. Trolls are anchors and others just like to see anger fly. That should not discourage anyone on DU. One should consider them "fighting words". You know you have hit your mark when someone out of nowhere tries to start something. I wish many would come back. I wish many,from our past, COULD come back. It's a great neighborhood.

[WillyT]

11. + 1,000,000,000... What You Said !!!

[Renew Deal]

13. I'll remember Tinoire

I think she was either Haitian or had a good understanding of Haiti. She was a good DUer and had interesting perspectives on the Latin American issue (IIRC). I think she eventually got frustrated and left. I'd love to see her return, but she's probably been gone like 10 years.

Which reminds me of eferrari. She's been gone a while. It would be interesting to have her back.

[steve2470]

15. best OP I've ever seen from you, WillyT!

Thank you.

[WillyT]

23. Thanks...

[leftieNanner]

16. DU is such a good place

I have to be careful of my "left wing" ideas with some family and friends. Here I know that I am among family AND friends.

[WillyT]

24. And That's The Way It SHOULD Be...

You are among friends.

[Hekate]

17. Best post ever, WillyT. Sorry I never got to a Meet -Up , but that's life

GD is so bad these past several years.... I suggested to Emilie/mylye that when or if she returns, she should get involved with one of the small groups here, because that way the relationships would be more personal and if she had another crisis she wouldn't have strangers being cruel. Words to that effect anyway. It was in a subthread of her GBCW, so I hope she read it.

[WillyT]

25. Thank You... But Why The Need For Cruelty ??? (Not You, Of Course...)

I know we can disagree, and get angry...

But why be cruel ???

[Hekate]

30. I do not understand it, and I don't know how so much of it can be tolerated here. nt

[deurbano]

18. Did you ever go to a SF meet-up in Golden Gate Park?

My family went to a couple of those. Proud Patriot and Tinoire were there, I think. (Around 2002-04)

We also saw a DU-er from Florida at a march in DC, carrying a sign, trying to find a specific group of DU-ers.

[WillyT]

26. I'm Thinking... We Must Have Met...

[Blue_In_AK]

20. You're a sweetheart, Willy.

[WillyT]

27. I Love You Too...

[Half-Century Man]

21. This is a good place.

I'm glad I found it.
I've been praised, shot down, sworn at, agreed with, and corrected. I've been called a fool, and a wise man on the same day.

Y'all are way more fun than the voices in my head. (my first smiley)

[WillyT]

29. Always Keep Good Humor... If That Don't Work... Take A Nature Walk..

Map:

[Half-Century Man]

31. South Central Wisconsin here.

Walking the frozen corn fields........lets call it invigorating.

[herding cats]

22. Mean people shouldn't set the standard.

I know this is a political board, and as such we will disagree on things from time to time. That's to be expected, but being mean just for the sake of being mean is not the same as an attempt at honest disagreement. Ignore that junk and don't let it stifle your voice.

Barring personality conflicts among some people here, only a very small minority are actually nasty to deal with for whatever reason. It's a pretty nice site overall. Even now, when people don't do gatherings and such, and don't have those connections to fall back on. It's still good, way better than most.

[dissentient]

28. Well put, and for a good example - I'm new here, and yet two kind folks gave me hearts, even though

they don't know me too well - how could they - since I have only been here a few months. How nice is that? To make a newbie like me feel comfortable here like that. So there are many nice and good people here, for sure.

Yea, on the other hand, I have noticed there are some jerks and assholes here too, negative people who seem to do nothing but insult others, and make negative comments. But you know what, they can be ignored, either figuratively or literally with the "ignore feature". I actually feel sorry for them, because they are probably miserable people in real life, and so they have to spread their misery around as best they can.

I would never let miserable people drive me away from a forum, or affect my own bright and positive mood, and so I also encourage those who are sensitive to come back and just ignore the negative ones, they have no power over you or anyone, truly, they are powerless.

[20score]

32. I had decided to leave yesterday because of a couple of assholes.

Last edited Fri Feb 13, 2015, 12:31 AM - Edit history (1)

And I still may leave.

[hifiguy]

34. Kick!

Yer one of the good guys, Willy!

[cwydro]

35. K and r!

[Karmadillo]

41. K&R

[marym625]

44. It worked

Great job

[WillyT]

45. Thanks...

I doubt it was just me. Or maybe me at all.